The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and an image display apparatus which controls the display of images imaged by a microscope. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to technology which performs division imaging of regions to be observed, and combines and displays a wide-field microscopic image by connecting a plurality of obtained partial images.
In order to obtain microscopic observation images with a wide-field and of a high magnification, in the fields of medical treatment, pathology, biology, materials and the like, technology has been used which performs division imaging of regions to be observed by a digital microscope, and connects a plurality of obtained partial images. A virtual microscope system using this technology has been of particular interest in tissue/cell examination applications in pathological diagnosis, since an obtained microscopic observation image can be displayed for a user at an arbitrary position and with an arbitrary magnification, or can be displayed at a separate location via a network.
Accordingly, in the related art, in order to improve convenience for the user, technology has been proposed which displays various types of information along with a microscopic observation image on a display section (refer to JP 2001-181015A and JP 2011-133849A). For example, in the pathological diagnosis system disclosed in JP 2001-181015A, attribute information of a specimen, necessary diagnostic region information and the like are displayed in addition to a stained specimen image (microscopic observation image), and a user (such as a pathologist) confirms this information together with the microscopic observation image, and makes a diagnosis.
On the other hand, in the information processing apparatus disclosed in JP 2011-133849A, annotation display information, which visually reflects position information of a specific part, such as a part where there is a risk of disease, is combined with a microscopic observation image. In this information processing apparatus, prevention of an oversight by an observer has been attempted by displaying image data which includes annotation marks on a display section.